Chapter XXIX- A New Life.
A fine morning shone in Coneria.
In the countryside of Coneria Capital City, in a small house with a red rooftop, there were three creatures inside.
It was Hyacinth who spoke first.
"Well, after some hard work in three months, we finished fixing up everything. You are proven innocent and your crime identity is deleted, the house is beautiful, Falco is well healed, and...uh...oh! Fox, is your finger comfortable?"
"Of course. It was just like before." When he showed the pinkie to Hyacinth, with his fingers stretched.
He put his hand down. And as Fox turned to Krystal, Krystal put her head on Fox's chest.
"How do you like this house now?"
"It's perfect. Fox." She said. "All of this. And you."
"Oh, I forgot to tell you guys that I'm gonna live here."
"But what about Earth? And its allies?"
"Who said a president must live in the land where he rules? I can work here. All of my work are paperwork and can be done over-galaxy. As for you, my friend, you are always the commander of my armies. Feel free to use them whether you like."
"Alright then. I'm sure we will get along, Hyacinth."
"Thank you." Krystal then continued: "After all this we have experienced, we have proven that our relationship has gone more secure...then all of this will just vanish, and will only turn into a bad dream. Like a tempest...it will come and cause damage, but it will go away. We'll lead a normal life. Now look at the sun. Look how beautiful its light is...we are gonna be happy, Fox. You too, Hyacinth."
After that, it came in a knock. And Hyacinth went to open the door. It was Falco. With his luggage. And Hyacinth went to help him take it in.
"Look. We have Mr. Sarcastic Talking Twin here." Said Falco.
"Oh, and you are not sarcastic talking, my blue friend." Replied Hyacinth, looking very playful and used a playful eye and pointing at Falco as he put down the luggage.
"Huh? Falco? I thought that you went to the Earth Federation!" Said Fox, a little astonished.
"I will live with you from now on. Didn't you say that you want Marcus to have an uncle to teach him how to ride an Arwing?" Said Falco.
"And a brother to teach him physics, chemistry, and mathematics so that he can get a 5** in HKDSE?" Said Hyacinth.
"Why, my family suddenly have so many people, who will do the cooking then?" Said Krystal. A bit gross.
Hyacinth went up to Krystal.
"Of course, it will be you, my dear Krystal. You are certainly excellent at cooking. Not to mention you are beautiful like Andromeda and marvelous like Valkyrie, uh, not the missiles, Krystal." Said hyacinth, as he gave a big bow to Krystal, giggled a bit as he finished the sentence, and he took up and kissed her hand.
"Aww. You can talk and be so sweet just like Fox." Said Krystal, happy after Hyacinth has given her his words. "Falco, learn from Hyacinth."
"Alright. Oh wow! Shakespeare, how can you talk so beautiful like that? Can you pleeeeaaaasssee teach me?" Said Falco. Exaggerating and lengthening the syllables.
"Of couuurrrrrsssseeee, my brother. I will teeaaaccchhh you." Said Hyacinth. Him lengthening them even more.
All of them then laughed afterward. They have started a new life. Away from the tempest. Away from the bad dreams.
After a year, when everything has settled down, the two married.
Hyacinth, using his power, is able to use half of the air force and almost the full space corps with all 16 destroyers throwing perhaps the biggest wedding in the universe. The wedding show was firstly on land, where almost fifty hundred thousand aircraft with their aerobatic smoke flew through the skies on Earth's continents. Doing spectacular air shows.
"I told you the wedding will be even better than the regular air shows in Hong Kong." Said Fox.
"Of course, you have Hyacinth as your hacking program, you hacker." Said Falco, smiling.
However, the civilians on Earth only know that this air show was for a secret couple. Unlike any other which spread the word so far as if the whole world is to know about it.
"Hyacinth has done a great job. We do not want our identity to be exposed too much. And he certainly concealed it well."
"Of course! Because I understand!" As the two heard footsteps coming near.
"Hyacinth? Where did you come from?"
Hyacinth suddenly gave a big bow to the two.
"May I ask you two to come abroad my indecent ships to your big and sacred wedding for your eternal love relationship?"
"Why, your ships are marvelous! Why would you call them indecent?"
"Hyacinth, you are like that again." Said Falco, also went out to Fox.
"Fal...fal...Falco! It is that...their wedding is so sacred that..."
"Ok. Cut it out. Just say it straightforward will do."
"Alright. Falco." Said Hyacinth, smiling.
"Will you two come abroad The Winter Wind destroyer for your wedding? All the high ranking officers are here. And the space corps used three months to prepare for the show. There is a special guest either."
"I will be really happy about that. Don't we, Fox?"
"Anything you say, Krystal."
After the air show is finished, Hyacinth kindly told the couple to abroad his Spectre Falcon. And Falco's sky claw at the side, accompanying the Spectre Falcon.
When they went to the biggest destroyer: The Winter Wind, at the wedding room, many high ranked officers saluted to them. Hyacinth did the scenery just like how Fox liked. A garden setting, with a taste of modern technology.
It was just like Fox has imagined: a garden which is filled with roses and lavender, making the garden filled with the fragrance of flowers, his family is here, all the people Hyacinth had commanded- the whole 1st army of the Earth Federation, the Earth Federation Vulpine, and Falcon Specialization teams. At the VIP seats, General Pepper is one of them. As he proudly looked at Fox and Krystal going in, with the two avians at their sides.
It was a spectacular sight to see the whole wedding room was filled with soldiers, saluting to them as they majestically walked on the red carpet to the place where their relationship will be turning to be sacred.
As Fox was wearing his White Tuxedo, Krystal was wearing her white gown, and Hyacinth and Falco who were in their black suits, walked slowly to the place where they will get married, with Fox and Krystal leading.
The orchestra is playing Canon in D, but quite softly, when the couple is going in.
The background of the wedding room is starfighters flying around and doing moves and maneuvers. Spectacular to watch and very majestic.
Hyacinth will be their wedding witness. Along with Falco.
"Do you, Fox Mccloud, agree to have Krystal as your wife? No matter she is healthy or sick, rich or poor, disgraced or admired?" Hyacinth said cheerfully but majestically. His left palm pointing towards Fox.
"Yes." Said he. Smiling at Krystal. As he put the female ring, which is pure silver, on Krystal's fourth digit. The paired wedding rings has one for male and one for the female.
Hyacinth smiled. As he used his right palm to point at Krystal.
"Do you, Krystal, agree to take Fox as your husband, no matter he is rich or poor, sick or healthy, disgraced or admired?"
"Yes." Said Krystal. As she also put the male's ring to his fourth index.
Hyacinth, then majestically said: "Then, by the name of god and the president of the Earth Federation, you are now married!"
At the background are suddenly a group of fighters flying in circles, made a great circle gas sphere, then a Nova Bomb was released at light speed, after one second, the bomb exploded, and there were metals reacting with the fire released from the bomb, releasing a colorful nova bang. Making it look like a colorful ring.
The orchestra played louder, and the officers clapped their hands.
"What a wonderful wedding!" Said Krystal. Smiling. Her cheeks being light red of happiness.
A year later, outside the bedroom, two perverted, blue, falcon humanoids are listening something outside the locked door in which the two foxes were inside.
"It's so beautiful listening to them." Said Hyacinth.
"Shush! Keep your voice down!" Said Falco. "Things have heated up!"
"I forgot to bring my cameras, that's a pity." Said Hyacinth. "Or I will be able to capture these moments."
"You just want something to help you do it off in the bathroom!" Replied Falco.
"Oh, don't you want to keep it and make it help you either, eh?" Said Hyacinth, giving a smile.
"Shh! How many times have I told you? Do not talk too loud!"
"We listened to at least ten times already, Falco. Why to be afraid of it?...shh! Now's the point where the second derivative is equal to zero!"
"Does the graph concave downwards?"
"Yes! It's a maxima value!"
They then listened closely. A while later, Falco turned his head to Hyacinth, and said: "You can describe it as the chemical reaction rate is at its highest."
"Well, it's 12 at night. They finished, and we have listened enough. It's time to go to bed. Lets quietly go back."
When they were tiptoe-ing back, Hyacinth playfully told Falco: "Next time, I will pre-install the cameras."
"I won't let you do that!"
Then, a week later, when it was Hyacinth's turn for the breakfast cooking, Krystal suddenly screamed from the second floor.
Everyone, Fox who has just finished bathing, Falco who was waiting for breakfast and watching Facebook with his phone, Hyacinth who was still cooking and with his apron on, did not even close the fire which he was boiling the milk. Everyone rushed to Krystal's room and simultaneously opened the door.
It was a hilarious sight. Fox who has just finished wearing his pants, Falco who is in his combat suit, and Hyacinth was still taking his spoon and his apron still on.
"What's happening?" The three said simultaneously.
"I am pregnant!" Said Krystal. Waving her pregnant tester in the air, which two red lines appeared on it.
The three brothers then looked at each other, and looked at Krystal. Repeat thrice.
It was Fox who has a reaction first.
"I'm gonna be a father!" As he bounced in her room.
"I'm going to be a big brother! Yippee! Yes!" Then it was Hyacinth who is bouncing around with Fox. The two then danced around in Krystal's room in joy and surprise.
"Being an uncle will not be a good thing. I will be the bad guy." Said Falco, appearing somewhat displeased, but cannot resist smiling. His hands crossing.
"Look at you two." Said Krystal. "You are even happier than me when you know the news."
As Hyacinth suddenly smelled something burnt. And he stopped dancing.
"Ahh! The milk I am reheating is boiling!" As he rushed to the kitchen, turning the fire off.
"Phew! Alright. I'll tell somebody to fix it afterward."
Nine months later, one summer evening, Hyacinth was rushing back to Coneria.
"Oh, you're gonna give birth whilst I am on Earth? Marcus cannot miss his first sight of his brother. Who will teach him redox reactions and Faraday's law when he grows up?"
As he warped to c², going to Coneria.
Meanwhile, in the Conerian General Hospital...
Krystal was in pain. Not being in hypothermia. But giving birth. At the side of the two brothers who anxiously looking at each other.
"Doctor, how is she? And where is Hyacinth?" Asked Fox.
"You asked me this question for almost 20 times since the last hour. This is natural. Her womb muscles were rapidly restraining and expanding. And this is incredibly painful for women. This is pretty much why I am proud to be a man. And the president is on his way already. Keep calm..."
But then the doctor was thrown by a white, plastic cup. It was Krystal. She took the cup used to fill up water for drinking at the side of the patient's bed, just on the small table.
"Good heavens! You should try to experience this pain!"
"Well, as a tiger humanoid and one of the best doctors from the Earth Federation hired by the president, I know what it is to be discriminated as a non-human. But not the pain of giving birth, Krystal." The doctor said, joking.
Hyacinth finally arrived at Coneria. As he went into a taxi at the taxi stop, telling the driver to go to the hospital, whilst complaining:
"Why Earth must be on the Sagittarius-Orion arm? Can it be in the Norma arm so I can travel faster?..."
Finally, he arrived. After a couple of minutes.
"Ah! Mr. President!" Said the doctor. As he gave a light bow. "Krystal is okay. Everything's good. Little Marcus's head is reversed down normally, Krystal's womb function is functioning marvelously. I'm sure she will give birth to a healthy son."
"This is why I hate biology. All those gross words and pictures. Geez Laweez!" Said Falco, at a side.
But Krystal seemed to be even more in pain.
The computer screen showed something only doctors will know. Marcus's position is right at the position of the moment giving birth. And they needed to take action.
"She is going to give birth to a new life! Everybody make way for her!"
As the doctor pushed her bed to the surgery room. Leaving the three brothers following, running.
"Krystal! Hang in there!"
"You will be alright!"
"Do it like how I fought the Angulars with you! Krystal!"
Outside the surgery room, you can hear three voices: The distinctive voice of two fairly high-pitched young birds and a fox. All chanting as if there were a spell inbound and the natives, knowing the spell works, chanting even greater.
The nurses inside the room, also comforted Krystal with their words. Some of them trying to teach her in how to reduce pain by inhaling and exhaling deeply. Some were trying to follow the vitality issues of Krystal for she may have been weakened by the last accident.
Finally, it was the moment.
"One! Two! One! Two! Breathe in there and exhale it!" Said the doctor.
"Go! Krystal!"
"Get that blue thing as my nephew! I'll be thankful!"
"I'm gonna be a father! And you're gonna be a mother! Just get it done and get Marcus out quickly!"
The three are now shouting so greatly and loudly, almost the full hospital is able to hear them. Everyone out there has their heads turned to the direction of the surgery room.
"JUST BE QUIET AND LET ME GET THIS DONE!" Yelled Krystal in all of a sudden. But the three did not really mind.
Finally, the miracle of life has happened.
A small, blue head which looks just like Fox but has the color of Krystal, went out. All of them suddenly went quiet. And only the beeping from the electronic devices in the room was heard.
"Oh my god." Said Fox.
"Kiss a monkey." Said Falco.
"Tell Andross to make peace negotiations." Said Hyacinth.
Krystal tried to not scream in pain. As she inhaled and exhaled more deeply when her child's body exit more.
And there he is. Crying loudly.
"You have your father's muzzle." Said Krystal, taking the baby to her arms.
"Your father's eyes." Said the doctor.
"Your mother's color." Said Hyacinth.
"Oh my god." Said Falco.
As Fox held her hand, she was smiling.
"Looks like our hard time has just begun."
"We will work hard."
As they kissed lightly. And Falco turned his head away. Hyacinth used the back of his left hand to block the vision but still left a bit of gap between the fingers to see this, smiling.
Clothes were then brought in by the quantity of boxes. Toys were brought in too. All for the pearl of the family.
One night, when everything was done and Marcus was put to sleep, the four surrounded the baby cradle.
"Oh, isn't he a beauty?" Said Fox.
"He's my magmus opum." Said Krystal.
"Years later I will teach you how to fight, shoot and do integrals." Said Hyacinth.
"You teach him the falcon sky kick like you taught me." Said Falco.
But then Marcus woke up and started crying. Probably the four talked a bit too loud. And the family was in panic.
"Uh, uh, uh, I will reheat the milk! Go! Go! Go!" Said Hyacinth, as he rushed to the kitchen, suddenly using Mandarin as he did not notice for the 'go go go'.
"Baby nice, sleep tight, don't fright..." Fox tried to use his gentle tactics to make Marcus sleep again. With his half-trained tenor voice by Hyacinth to sing a lullaby. Which turned out to be an unsatisfactory and amusing melody.
Krystal did not do much, but took the baby up, placing it in her hands, then slowly swayed her arms left and right.
Only Falco remained his cool.
"I don't do this stuff." He said, crossing his hands.
That is when Hyacinth brought the milk bottle from the kitchen downstairs. The white substance inside swayed up and down in the bottle rapidly.
"Milk delivery! Fresh and clean!...eh?"
Marcus was already asleep.
"Oh..." said Hyacinth, a bit disappointed.
"Don't worry. We will need it for the baby's breakfast. Put it in the water heater and keep it 34 degrees, Hyacinth." Said Krystal, smiling to him.
A year later he learned how to walk, like all babies do.
"Yes baby, come here, my dear."
"I still remember, when you were ten months old, Falco." Said Hyacinth, trying to support Marcus walking by protecting him from falling down by pushing lightly on his shoulders with Fox. "You were just like me. You wanted to walk before one year old, and when you cannot have a strong skeleton to support your weight when you were an infant, your parents used a scarf to help you stand up. And you were laughing when they did so."
"Where did you find these things?" Said Falco, his face blushing brighter than an apple.
"Just kidding. Your old bombarded house. You joined the Hot Rodders after your parents died and Peppy brought you there. When I searched your house, well, found your old video tapes."
"You son-of-an-Andross!" Said Falco, furious.
"Sorry, hehe. Forgot that you don't like us digging your old memories."
The family then laughed. As Marcus finally succeed in walking to her mother.
"Oh, you my precious little fox cub, aren't you?" Said Krystal. As Fox went near to take a look at his son, who was lifted up and hugged by Krystal.
Hyacinth walked to Falco and was crossing his hands like Falco does just beside Fox, looking at the same direction.
"Well, we can help when Marcus is older." Said Hyacinth.
"Should I be thankful with your sentence?"
"You should."
"Monkey twin."
Six years later, Marcus was seven years old.
Hyacinth was teaching him Physics in one autumn day. When there was a tempest outside. And the rest is coming back home from work.
"And so, the Faraday's law states that, when there is a change of magnetic flux over a certain period of time, there will be a Voltage change in the closed circuit which is..." said Hyacinth when he was doing an example of Faraday's law for Marcus.
Suddenly there is thunder outside the window. And Marcus turned his head towards the big window in his room.
"Hyacinth, what is being so loud outside?" Said Marcus in all of a sudden.
Outside the window was a tempest. The skies were gray, and raindrops attached to the window. There was lightning. And thunder.
"It's a tempest. Marcus, my dear."
"Why am I a little afraid of it? Should it only be rain that nurtures everything on its touch? Like you and my father taught me?..."
Just then, everyone has come back. The sound of the door opening was heard.
"I'm home! Marcus!" Said Fox. Cheerfully.
"How's my blue little fella!" Asked Krystal, as she walked up.
"..." As usual, Falco did not say anything.
When they went upstairs to Marcus's room, he saw two figures. Although all are blue, one has a feathery tail and one has an elegant fox's tail. All looking at the window, the rain outside.
"Uh, Marcus, what is it?" Asked Fox.
Falco, seeing this, has no intention of running away or escaping this time. Because he experienced it before. He knew how the rest feels. As he went along like Fox and Krystal.
"Marcus...is a bit afraid of the tempest. Will it be..." said Hyacinth, worrying.
The pair of lovers looked at each other. Then at Hyacinth, then at Falco. As Falco nodded his head.
Fox smiled. And told Marcus, crouching down and held his shoulders: "It's OK to be afraid. But you need not be afraid for too long. If we all try to solve it as a family, I'm sure it will always be done. Always. The tempest will always go away. The light will shine in afterward. I don't know if you know what I am saying..."
"I know, father. I know."
Marcus hugged his father. As his father hugged him back.
Then his mother hugged him.
Then his brother. And his uncle.
The carpet has changed. From only two foxes, turned into a merrier one. There are also two avians. One standing at the side of the fox and one at the side of the vixen. And the vixen is carrying a little, blue fox cub on her arms.
A warm rain fell out of the window. With a soft, little thunder.